I was watching Keith Olberman, Countdown, last week (Nov 24), and heard him
mention that it was from the same election day exit polls that were so wrong about Kerry, we also heard "moral values" was
the number one concern of voters.

The exit polls using specifically defined multiple choices included the words,
moral values, to which folks who consider themselves moral anyway (which does not necessarily translate to religious righteousness)
might easily respond with a yes.

Keith shows other polls taken which place concern about Iraq war first, and
moral values last.

So if the apologists for the exit polls who say they were just plain wrong
holds up, then it also holds up that the primary concern on "moral values" is also plain wrong. Can't have it both ways.

MSM full of news about the "moral values" aspect, leading the nation in the
supposed "dialogue" as if the exit polls is close to factual, then need also to point out exit polls for Kerry win is also
close to factual. Otherwise, we are again, being mislead on the whole "moral values" issue and diverting our energies in non-productive
arenas, and buying into more of the disconnect.

The more we allow ourselves to be in the "disconnect" (the desired aim of
the divisiviness strategies) the less functional we remain in our ability to react and respond thoughtfully to the threats
to our democracy.

I believe among the successful strategies being employed by this administration
and whomever are it's shadow operators is to perpetually put before us one demonized enemy after another until in a fog we
no longer know what we fear, or what to fight back against....

I believe the "moral values" as a targeted population has been skillfully
exploited and for now are enjoying their day in the sun, if you will, reaping some of the benefits of policy decisions made
to appease them. Since their movement adopts a cultish aspect of programmed beliefs, reinforced at every opportunity, it is
not logical that they would be reasoning people, rather a mob with a mission.

Programming the mission serves to keep the mob focused (without reason or
logic, necessarily) and singular in their goals.

It would certainly follow that the more of us pushed, forced to wear the mantle,
the wider the operating room for the managers to pursue their own goals without obstruction. I believe there are a lot of
red herrings thrown at us just now, and it serves to disarm us into a sense of futility and helplessness in our own fighting
energies.

Some will weary and fall into state of discontent but with no real arena to
target the energies, will gradually learn to live in discontent. It is how we become disenfranchised, and rendered neutered.

My morning thoughts, not necessarily well developed. Would like to hear yours.
I've never been polled on anything. I'm tired of the supposed polls categorizing my complex human concerns.

I well know, most polls are easily skewed anyway and are merely a way to tabulate
and count numbers to try to deal with complex issues. I object to the way media, for example, polls everything and then proceeds
to dialogue as if the outcome of those polls reflects an accuracy about our human condition.

When I was interviewed by a local newspaper before the elections, and articulated
some views, for example, of a military family's perspective, the interviewer said to me that the polls showed otherwise and
how did I explain that, how could I claim to suggest many other military families felt as I did.

It was a confusing question to me, as I don't know who took the poll to arrive
at the numbers, nor the nature of who was polled. I remember thinking, what is the point of my careful articulation if it
is going to be offset by the outcome of a poll as having more validity than my experience.

I would guess that is more true of all the other polls being relied on and
fed to us as how the majority thinks/behaves/acts and responds. It serves to deflate personal experience as valid and has
an effect of helping folks to question and challenge their own thinking in a way to encourage one to abandon their own thinking
and reasoning and fall into lock step with the majority thinking based on poll results.

I'm concerned about a trend to measure everything we do and reduce it to polls,
then have those poll results presented as news of accuracy about the climate and barometer of issues relevant to living in
our country in these times.